Legal Help for Veterans blog.
News and Press
The controversial subject of animal research has been thrust into the spotlight due to a spending bill passed by the House with the potential to ban the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from conducting medical experiments on dogs. The VA is defending the practice as a key part of the agency’s pursuit of medical innovation […]
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PTSD
A simple blood test could soon be used to diagnose post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to new research. PTSD is currently only diagnosed through symptoms that people report themselves. However, diagnosis can be difficult as veterans and others who have the condition are often reluctant to discuss it. Researchers at the University of Maastricht in […]
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News and Press
A report from the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) inspector general revealed that more than $37 million in erroneous payments were issued to deceased veterans. Hundreds of veterans have continued to receive SSA benefits despite being dead for years. The audit found over 3,900 cases in which beneficiaries were still getting regular payments despite being listed […]
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News and Press
A recently released government report is cautioning the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) about the growing risk of opioid abuse among veterans. The VA Office of Inspector General urged the department to enhance the monitoring of opioid prescriptions to veterans from private-sector health care providers. The VA watchdog said veterans who use VA programs, like […]
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News and Press
House Republicans have blocked a key amendment to legislation concerning medical marijuana use for veterans. The measure would have enabled patients to receive marijuana for pain relief through Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) doctors in states where its use has been legalized for medical purposes. Federal law currently bars VA doctors from recommending or even […]
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Medical Issues / Disability, News and Press
Kristina L. Derro, Esq. Over the last several years a rare type of eye cancer has been showing up in Vietnam veterans at an undeniably concerning rate. Choroidal Melanoma is a rare cancer among the general population, but it’s being diagnosed at a rate that’s proportionally much higher among veterans. This rare cancer can spread […]
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Claims Processing, Medical Issues / Disability, News and Press
Kristina L. Derro, Esq. Veterans have struggled for years to efficiently navigate through the VA appeals process. Appealing disability benefits claims could take, on average, three to five years to complete. Many of these benefits are critical to thousands of veterans worldwide, and they can’t afford to be kept waiting years for the process to […]
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News and Press
President Trump announced a new initiative to improve veterans’ access to health care using technology. Several tools will serve to expand the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) existing telehealth services, including a new application that allows patients to schedule appointments from their mobile devices. Veterans can use their smartphones or computers to connect with their […]
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News and Press
A bipartisan group of 40 House lawmakers wrote a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary David Shulkin. They criticized the VA for slow reimbursements to private medical providers, which are damaging the credit reports of veterans who use the Veterans Choice Program. The Veterans Choice Program allows eligible veterans to seek health care […]
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Medical Issues / Disability, News and Press
Kristina L. Derro, Esq. After complaints from Congress and special counsel, a government audit found that 140 veterans who were seeking specialized service at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Memphis were wrongly booted from wait lists. Some of these veterans had already been waiting months. The complaints asserted that the VA was attempting […]
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